This new and distinct variety of miniature rose was created by James A. Sproul, under conditions of careful and controlled observation, at his nursery in Bakersfield, Calif. It is the result of a cross of a seedling of ‘WEKjoe’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,389), by ‘JACient’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,725), as the seed parent, by ‘JACpoy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,015) as the pollen parent.
The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a new miniature rose variety with classic, hybrid tea formed flowers on a disease resistant bush. To meet this objective, the parents were chosen for their disease resistance as well as their exhibition form flowers. The objective was substantially achieved in this new, clear medium pink miniature rose having long tapered buds and good exhibition form.
This new cultivar, ‘Sproheather’, can be easily distinguished from its seed parent by size. The pink blend seed parent is a large-flowered hybrid tea seedling. ‘SPRoheather’ is a miniature rose.
‘SPRoheather’ is easily distinguished from its pollen parent by color. The Pollen parent, ‘JACpoy’, is a vibrantly colored orange and yellow blend miniature rose and ‘Sproheather’ is a clear medium pink miniature rose, with yellow only at the base of the petals.
Other seedlings from this cross showed a wide variety of colors, with ‘SPRoheather’ being one of two miniature roses selected out for further evaluation. Four seedlings of the Mini-Flora class were also selected for further evaluation. Colors of these Mini-Floras are a pink blend, a russet, an orange blend and a yellow. The other mini selected for further evaluation is cream colored. These roses all have classic, exhibition hybrid tea form in fully double flowers.